Beauty Lies Within the Beholder of the Eyes
by ProfessorKat
Summary: [Oneshot] Sasuke has yet to return to Konoha and it has sent Sakura to the brink of insanity, allowing for Inner Sakura to emerge from the darkness. She can only take so much before she hunts him down herself...


I do not own any characters and/or Naruto.

xxxxx

Placing a palm to his face, he felt the warm liquid wet his hand. The wound was not fatal, but it was a nuisance nonetheless. The cut just above his brow allowed blood to travel down and seep in his eye, no matter how many times he tried to blink it away.

That was when he heard the faint rustle. Someone was approaching. Someone… familiar. A twig snapped; he turned to face his opponent.

"Sas-u-ke," a woman drew out, a nervous giggle bubbling past her lips, "I finally found you."

"Sakura."

The kunoichi stood before him, head tilted down and to the side, rosy strands hanging in front of her face. Her mouth was twisted in to a smile that gave Sasuke Uchiha chills. Something was off, _very _off - her stance was wobbly, her hands twitching at random. He could feel her chakra spiking, continuously rising in what he assumed was anger.

"Sas-u-ke," she sang again, lolling her head to the other side. "Do you know how hard it's been to find you?"

He was silent, watching her stumble a few steps closer to him. Darkened eyes fell on the kunai gripped tightly in her hand.

"I've been so worried about you, Sasuke." Another giggle sounded, her shoulders shaking at the action.

Her chakra pulsed, reaching out to brush against him, teasing him; enticing him. For a brief second, he wondered how much she had changed since he seen her last. Her hair was once again long, the tips brushing against her lower back. The locks were wild, barely contained in its hair band, while frazzled bangs framed her paled face.

"What do you plan on doing, now that you've found me," Sasuke asked finally, keeping his face cold and emotionless, pushing down the creeping chills.

Sakura stilled at his words, sandals planted firmly on the ground. Sasuke thought she would give no answer or she would begin to weep as she always did. To his astonishment, she began to giggle again, this time in a pitch much lower. Her snicker slowly blossomed in to a menacing laugh, echoing loudly around them; trees pushing the sound back as if it appalled them. Flinging her head back, she stared down her opponent with now blackened eyes, lovely emerald irises gone. Across the creamy canvas of her brow laid red letters softly smoking – like her forehead had just been branded with hot iron.

"To kill you, of course," she said, flashing a smile of fanged, ragged teeth.

Sasuke tensed, lifting his hands to begin a jutsu, but before he could blink she was gone, leaving only a cloud of dust in her wake. How had she slipped past him so easily? What jutsu was this? His onyx eyes gave way to the Sharingan, lids pried open to broaden his sight.

A soft giggle sounded to his left. He turned on the balls of his feet. Nothing.

"We love a good sword fight," the voice sang - a clash of metal sounded in front of him.

Her tanto pushed against his blade, shaking ever so slightly in her quivering hands. Sasuke sneered, pushing his weight forward.

"You're still no match for me."

"Sakura has been working extremely hard for Sasuke. Sakura hoped to impress Sasuke."

_Why is she talking like this? Where is this strength coming from?_

He fell forward a step, snatched from his fleeting thoughts. She was gone again.

"Sasuke isn't much fun. Sasuke has become weak. Sakura has become strong."

He ground his teeth, moving in to a defensive stance, holding his blade high. The girl had gone mad. She was wasting his time. She had to be dealt with once and for all. He would not spare her life this time; he would not make that mistake again. He strained to hear any small indication of her location. Even her swelling chakra had vanished, almost as if it had been swallowed in to the blackness itself.

Sasuke faced the shadows, retreating to the warm embrace of sunlight, hoping to draw her in to the open. But still, there was nothing. He took a moment to wipe the blood from his face; smearing dark crimson over his pale flesh with his sleeve.

"Are you scared to fight me, Sakura?" he called out, drawing out her name.

"We are not afraid any more." A whisper, to his right.

He spun, crashing swords with the kunoichi once again. His eyes were spinning furiously, locking on to her pale face. She smiled, jagged teeth peaking beneath cracked lips.

"Such pretty eyes. Sakura will feel sad when digging them out," she said with almost a sigh.

xxxxx

He found her sitting in the middle of the road, her head bowed low. Concern washed through his chest as he descended from the trees. He crouched down beside her, gently placing a hand to her shoulder.

"Sakura? Are you OK? You were gone quite a long ti-" Naruto stopped, noticing her blood soaked clothes. As he was about to question her further, she giggled softly, holding out her cupped hands for her friend to see.

"Look what Sakura found."

Naruto looked down in utter shock, finding a set of red eyes staring up at him, irises no longer spinning.


End file.
